Out Of Time

He cringed as the door slammed shut. He knew he had to act fast. He sighed, leaning back against the headboard, as she stomped up the stairs. He tucked the bottle under his side of the mattress. She made it to the bedroom door. It was open. She stopped in the doorway, crossing her arms. He looked over from the door and smiled at her. She had a stern look on her face.
"Babe, how was work?" He asked, tapping the spot on the bed beside him.
"Cut the shit. You skipped practice." She spat.
"It was optional." He shrugged.
"You're the captain!" She yelled.
They stared at each other. The tension was high. He pulled the blanket off of himself. He took large strides towards her. His large arms pulled her tiny frame into his body. She held onto him as he held her close. She exhaled as she melted in his arms.
"I worry so much about you. I don't want you back to the place you were in once." She admitted.
"I don't need that place. I have you now. I'm better." He said into her hair.
She didn't believe it. She didn't believe much he said anymore. She believed that he loved her, but he was sick. She could tell he was still up to his old antics. His skin was pale, his once bright eyes were constantly dim. His hair seemed bodiless. He was always sleeping when he was home. He never bothered going out with his team anymore. It killed her to see him this way.
She pulled out of his arms. Her hands found his face. She pressed her lips to his and rested there. He kissed back, holding her close. He knew she could tell he was lying. He hated lying to her. He hated her being upset with him more, so lying was the only option. He pulled away slowly, keeping his forehead against hers.
"Change into something and lay with me." He whispered.
She nodded, stepping away from him. He stayed where he was and watched as she slid out of her work clothes. She stood in just her undergarments. Her long limbs moved slowly as she found something to wear. She was beautiful. He had always thought she was. Since the day he saw her laughing in the stands, sporting his jersey although they had never met. He made it his job to find out who she was.
Luck was on his side. She went to the same bar the team always went to after a win. It took a lot for him to approach her. He usually had no trouble, but it was different with her. He went up to her and offered to buy her a drink. She argued that he deserved to have one bought for him over his amazing game. He asked how she had managed to find a jersey with his name, let alone why she'd want one, when it was his first season. She admitted she found him cute. Later on, he discovered it wasn't luck on his side, but her best friend, who did her research and knew his team would be there, was.
The next morning, after she had come home from work to find he missed practice, he woke up to her still holding onto him. Her brown hair was messy but still in the bun she had fallen asleep with. Her long lashes cascaded down her face as she took slow and steady breaths. He smiled, pecking her forehead. Her eyelashes fluttered as she woke up to the contact. She opened her eyes and tilted her head back. She smiled at him when their eyes met. He kissed her lips.
"Did you sleep well?" He cooed as he rubbed her arm.
She snuggled into him more, her head against his chest. "I always sleep well in your arms." She explained.
He smiled. "What would you say to some fun before work?" He whispered.
"I would say," She swung her leg over his lap, sitting on his thighs. "I'm in charge."
He grinned as she pecked his lips. Clothes began to shed as she stayed on top. They didn't detach their lips. She ground her hips into him, earning her a moan from him. She stopped at the sound of something hard hitting the floor. She looked over the edge of the bed. The bright orange bottle of pills caught her eye. She looked from them back to him.
"You lied to my face." She said and picked the bottle up.
It was nearly empty. She read the label. Benn, Jamie. Take one (1) tablet when needed with food. The prescription had been filled only two weeks ago and now it was almost empty. She held it as she looked at him.
"Where's the rest of it, Jamie?" She hissed.
"There is no more." He lied, his eyes shifting.
She followed where they shifted. She pulled open the drawer of the bedside table. Nothing. She took the bottle in her hand to the washroom where she flushed them down the toilet. She stormed back into the room. He hadn't moved from his seat.
"I want to help you but I can't when you're lying to me." She said, her eyes brimming with tears. "I don't know what you want! How are you happy like this?" She sat on the edge of the bed.
"You think this is what I want, Jess? I want to be addicted to prescription meds? No! I want to be able to spend time with my friends and my girlfriend without thinking of how I could slip a couple in. I hate myself." He cried, his eyes watering too.
She let the tears fall from her eyes as he did. She crawled up the bed, sitting in his lap as she held him. He cried into her neck. She held onto him with all the strength she had. When they both calmed a bit, she sat back, letting go of him. She was still sitting on him. He frowned at her.
"I'm gonna go to my sister's for the night after work. I think I need a night." She explained.
He nodded. "I'd understand if you didn't come back." He admitted.
"No." She cried. "You need me and I want to help you. I just need a little time." She held his face.
He leaned forward pressing his forehead to hers. "I love you." He whispered before kissing her gently.
Jess came home from her sister's the next day. Tyler, Jordie and Jamie were sitting on the couch. The TV was off. The house was completely silent. It was an eerie silence. Tyler looked over at her. He stood up, with Jordie, and they walked over to her.
"We need you to go upstairs." Tyler instructed as she took off her outdoor wear.
She furrowed her brows. "Why?"
"We did a sweep of the house. Found a couple more bottles stashed." Jordie explained. Her face dropped. "None were open but who's to say they weren't close to it."
She nodded. She stepped around them. Jamie hadn't made a move since she walked in. She leaned around the back of the couch, pulling him into a hug. He held her hands as she kissed his neck. She knew he asked for the guys to help her. They separated and she made her way upstairs. She opened the bedroom door. On the bed were seven full bottles. She felt sick that she hadn't seen those entering her house.
She picked one up, looking it over. It was the same as every other bottle she found, only full. Staring at this bottle, it reminded her of all the strain those tiny white tablets had put on the best thing in her life. Jamie. She looked from the bottle to the wall across the room. She wound up before she threw it at the wall. The lid popped off and the pills spilled everywhere.
The first bottle was for the first time she caught Jamie over doing it. It was for him telling her he was just 'really sore'. It was for her being stupid enough to not touch the subject any further.
The second bottle was for the first time she came home to Jamie out of it. She found him with the bottle on the nightstand as his head bobbed in and out of consciousness. She cried that night. She had never been so scared. Once he fell asleep, she stayed up all night. She was positive he was never waking up and she thanked god he did.
The third bottle was for the first time he skipped practice due to these tiny tablets that were slowly ruining him. She came home from work to him passed out on the couch. She assumed he had come home from practice and fallen asleep, but he didn't even make it to practice.
The fourth bottle was for the first time he told her he had none. For the first lie he told her. He promised he finished his first and only bottle but she had found another. She continued to hide them for times when he was in dyer need, but he always found them, and he always abused them.
The fifth bottle was for every fight, lie, tear, and scream that had happened between the two since the drug became a part of their life. For every time Jamie became defensive or angry. For every time Jess became tired or upset. For all this had done to them.
She picked up the last two in a fit of rage, tossing both at the wall with a scream. Pills flew everywhere. Jamie heard her screams and ran up the stairs. He opened the bedroom door and dropped to where Jess was on the floor. He held her as they both cried. Their room was showered with the pills that had ruined them. She sobbed into him and he sobbed right back. She pulled away from him, holding onto his face.
"I want you to get better." She told him as she cried.
"I'm going to get better. I'm going to for you." He promised as the tears fell from his eyes. "I'll go to therapy, rehab, anything. Just for you."
"Do it for yourself." She whispered.
"I wouldn't be myself without you, Jess. I'm going to do this for you like you've done everything for me." He explained as he took her lips into a kiss.